


my heart will open for you

by arcane_illusions



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, M/M, Matchmaking, Peacocks, Surprise Kissing, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 18:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30110421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcane_illusions/pseuds/arcane_illusions
Summary: Remus just got out of a serious relationship. Sirius is on a streak of bad Tinder dates. James just wants his friends to be happy. What starts off as a harmless first date leads to something beyond anything they could've hoped for.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48
Collections: Wickedly Wolfstar: Love at First Text





	my heart will open for you

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Wickedly_Wolfstar_Love_at_First_Text](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Wickedly_Wolfstar_Love_at_First_Text) collection. 



> Written for the Love at First Text challenge on the Wickedly Wolfstar Discord.  
> Prompt: My friend gave me your number to set us up, but I just got out of a relationship. Mind if we just pretend we’re dating for a bit?  
> -  
> Thanks to Dash for betaing!

_Today, 09:37_

**Unknown Number**

hi, is this remus?

**Remus Lupin**

This is Remus, yes.

Who are you?

**Unknown Number**

ah, good, so james wasn’t taking the mickey after all

**Remus Lupin**

James? Do you mean James Potter?

**Unknown Number**

yeah, he’s the one who gave me your number

listen, this is really awkward

but...he said something about setting us up

**Remus Lupin**

Setting us up? 

You’re right, that’s awkward.

James is a horrible matchmaker, no offence to you.

**Unknown Number**

none taken

one time he set me up with this blond prat who wouldn’t stop talking about his peacocks

it took me the whole date to realize he wasn’t making an innuendo

_Remus Lupin reacted with :haha:_

**Unknown Number**

2 hours of my life wasted

james had a good laugh at it, the arse

i set him up with the love of his life and this is how he repays me

git

**Remus Lupin**

You seem very passionate about the subject.

**Unknown Number**

you don’t understand, remus

2\. bloody. HOURS

PEACOCKS

hell, i’m getting an aneurysm just from thinking about it

killing me would have been a mercy

i tried to change the topic but somehow we ended back at peacocks

i’m telling you, it’s not human to know that much about peacocks

for one, did you know that male peacocks are polygamous?

polygyny to be specific (yes, i had to google how to spell it)

**Remus Lupin**

No, I did not.

I don’t even know your name.

And James wants to set us up?

**Unknown number**

it’s serious

serious

bloody autocorrect

it’s Sirius

there we go

and yes, james wants to set us up, because he thinks we’ll “really hit it off” or some cliche shite like that

**Remus Lupin**

Sirius, listen, about that.

I just got out of a serious relationship and I’m not really looking for someone else to date right now.

They would be just a rebound, wouldn’t they? It wouldn’t be fair to them.

I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re a lovely person, but I can’t date anyone right now.

**Sirius**

oh no it’s fine

i wasn’t looking for a relationship either but according to james, i needed to stop spending my friday nights hogging the couch in our flat

selfish git just wants to get laid by his gf

as if he doesn’t every night, and they share a wall with my bedroom. my existence has been reduced to a £4.99 pack of earplugs

**Remus Lupin**

Errr...okay.

Listen, I have to go do a thing, alright? I’ll see you around.

See your messages, I mean.

**Sirius**

yeah, ok

* * *

“It would be good for you, you know,” James said sagely. “Getting back into the dating game.”

“‘Dating game’? No one’s said that since the 2000s,” said Sirius, raising an eyebrow. And my love life is perfectly fine, thank you very much. I don’t need you to be my...my relationship coach or whatever.”

“Mate, all you do is fall into bed with strangers,” James retorted, leaning forward in his armchair. “Isn’t that...unfulfilling? Haven’t you been curious to see if there’s more to it than shagging them and never calling them again?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, it is fulfilling,” Sirius said with a roguish grin. “It’s just sex, no strings attached, and they know what they’re getting into when they sleep with me. It’s the perfect arrangement for both of us.”

James just stared at him. “Suit yourself,” he said, shrugging and leaning back.

Now it was Sirius’s turn to stare, confused. He’d been expecting James to put up more of an argument.

Oh well. Better for him.

* * *

_Two days later_

_Today, 11:11_

**Sirius**

okay, james is getting annoying

i had an idea to make him shut up

but you’re going to probably say no and you’d be justified because it’s mad

**Remus Lupin**

Don’t worry, I...won’t think you’re mad.

Try me.

**Sirius**

first, i need to know, are you as irritated by james as i am

that way i can tell how upset you’ll be

on a scale of 1-10

**Remus Lupin**

Does it matter? It seems like you’re going to tell me regardless.

But to answer your question - James has been badgering me quite a bit, he has some apparent fascination with getting us to go on a date.

Wait.

**Sirius**

funnily enough, that’s what i’m suggesting ;)

the only way he’ll shut up is if we go on a “date”

then he’ll get off my back and off yours too

we’ll pretend the date was horrible and never speak again

i assume that’s your intention since you blew me off so transparently the other day

**Remus Lupin**

I’m sorry if I gave off that impression.

To be frank, I don’t think it’s such a bad idea. 

If it gets James off our backs, then I’m game.

**Sirius**

wow, really?

i was sure i would have to say more things to convince you

**Remus Lupin**

Your idea has merit, but I would suggest adding to it.

**Sirius**

yeah?

**Remus Lupin**

James will be spying on us; that’s what he did on my first date with everyone he set me up with.

We have to make it look convincing that we’re not compatible. 

**Sirius**

true

i’ll just act like i’m bored by you, shouldn’t be too hard

**Remus Lupin**

As much I resent that slight, you’ll have to do that.

I’ll talk about peacocks or something, that should make it easier for you.

**Sirius**

DON’T YOU DARE

* * *

“Shut up, Pete!” James elbowed his friend sharply in the side, and rather than shutting him up, it caused him to let out an undignified yelp of pain. “What part about _stealth_ don’t you get?”

“What part about _sharing the bloody binoculars_ don’t you get?” Peter snapped through ground teeth. “I knew I should have brought my own pair.”

“Shhh,” said James distractedly, “it’s getting good. They’re really hitting it off —”

“It doesn’t look like that to me,” muttered Peter, trying to squint and make out the two figures in front of the window. “It looks like Sirius is bored out of his mind.”

James mumbled something mutinously under his breath, and Peter smirked. 

“Look — Remus is getting up!” narrated James. “He’s gone to throw his food away — what a waste — and now Sirius is getting up — and he’s saying something to Remus —”

“What’s going on?” demanded Peter, making a swipe for the binoculars, which James swiftly dodged, and the pair of them tussled in the bushes for a few moments. Finally, James nabbed them back from Peter and sat on Peter’s stomach, holding him still. 

“Dammit, we missed the good part!” James complained, pressing the binoculars to his eyes. “Now Remus is walking away, and Sirius is — is the wanker rolling his eyes?”

“Who is?” rasped Peter, who was having difficulty breathing. James took no notice and peered through the lenses.

“Sirius,” he murmured, sounding confused. “He rolled his eyes. I don’t understand, I thought this date was going well.”

Gathering his remaining strength, Peter gave his friend a hard shove with his free hand, and James, though he wasn’t by any means light, was surprised to find himself tumbling face-first into the ground. Spitting out a mouthful of leaves—blech, he would never forget that horrid taste—he glared at Peter.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Peter gasped for breath, sitting up slowly and clumsily, and wrapping an arm around his stomach. “They’re clearly not hitting it off. They aren’t as...what was it that you said? Compatible?”

“...Maybe,” acknowledged James with something like defeat. “Maybe they’re not. But this was only a half an hour date, they didn’t get a chance to talk much. Half that time was just getting their food.” He brightened up instantly. “Maybe my mission isn’t so hopeless after all!”

Peter groaned, still clutching his stomach.

* * *

_Today, 14:19_

**Remus Lupin**

Well, how did it go?

James isn’t with me right now, so I’m assuming he either crashed at his place with you or at Lily’s.

**Sirius**

you wouldn’t believe this but

the stubborn git thinks we need to go on ANOTHER date

**Remus Lupin**

Another?? Why on Earth would he say that??

Were we not convincing enough?

**Sirius**

no shit, sherlock

he thinks we didn’t have enough time to talk, so that means we have to go on another date 

**Remus Lupin**

Bloody hell

**Sirius**

what, is going on a date with me that bad?

**Remus Lupin**

It’s not about you.

This is the time I’d normally stop seeing someone if I didn’t like them.

This is when serious relationships start.

**Sirius**

(fyi, you’re tempting me to make a pun)

i thought that was the third date?

and chill, this is just the second date. we’re not getting married or anything

_Remus Lupin reacted with :exclamation mark:_

**Remus Lupin**

Guess we have different perceptions of “serious”.

Let’s hope after this date, we’ll get James to stop nagging us.

I just received a barrage of messages from him. He’s very excited about this “date”.

**Sirius**

just to be clear, you’re saying yes to a second date?

_Remus Lupin reacted with :facepalm:_

* * *

“Okay, look more bored this time,” Lupin instructed. “Look as if I’m talking about...eggs. Raw eggs, their disgusting yellow yolk. That doesn’t have any sexual connotations, does it?”

“Errr…” Sirius grimaced awkwardly as though he were trying to refrain from showing his amusement. “I’ll try not to... _crack_ a joke this time.”

“...You’re a child,” said Lupin flatly. “I can’t believe I agreed to do this again. We could’ve made up some excuse.”

“You know how stubborn James can be,” Sirius pointed out, sighing. “He’s probably watching us as we speak. You know what, I think he’s hiding behind that tree.” He pointed to a pine tree a few meters away.

“Nah, I think he’s in those bushes.” Lupin glanced at a row of bushes just beyond the tree. “He has an MO. Picks the same places every time because it’s more convenient.”

“You may have a point there, Lupin,” Sirius agreed. 

“Remus.”

“I’m sorry?” Sirius looked at his partner-in-crime with raised eyebrows.

“Well, if we’re going to make it look real, then we should call each other by our first names,” Remus said, though the tips of his ears were tinted red. 

“What does calling you by your first name have to do with this?” Sirius asked. “He can’t hear us — oh. _Oh._ ” Suddenly, the red ears made sense, and understanding dawned on Sirius. “You —”

“There’s nothing to it,” Remus snapped, looking away, and Sirius was sure if he touched his comrade’s ears his fingers would be fried. 

Despite his swot-like tendencies, Sirius supposed Remus wasn’t too bad. It helped that he was easy on the eyes, with his soft-looking cardigan, soft brown hair, and even softer-looking lips — 

Wait, what?

Sirius tore his eyes away from Remus’s mouth, his ears hot. This was bad. So, very bad.

* * *

In hindsight, the blushing had been a mistake, because now James thought they were actually attracted to each other. 

“Did you see the way he was looking at you?” James insisted excitedly, not even bothering to hide the fact that he’d been spying on them. “He was totally looking at you when you weren’t looking.”

“You’re just seeing what you want to see,” Remus shot back, half his attention on the phone in his lap and his eyes on the screen, which periodically lit up with a message. “There was nothing going on between us.”

The moment he looked up, James raised his eyebrows. “Then who are those messages from?” he asked pointedly. “I assume it’s either from your mum or Sirius because they are the only people who would have you glued to your phone.”

“For your information, it’s Mum,” Remus retorted, but his phone dinged and his eyes immediately darted to his phone. The instant blush on his face betrayed his words, and James grinned.

“Oh, is Mum his new name?” James teased. “Gotten to the pet name stage already?”

“You’re — that’s fucked up,” Remus said firmly, but he was _blushing,_ and he was _blushing at something Sirius said,_ and that was enough for James.

“You _fancy_ him,” he crowed triumphantly. “I have succeeded! Just wait until I tell —”

“Don’t you _date_ — I mean dare — don’t you _dare_ , James Potter.” Remus, much to his mortification, was flustered, and James was basking in his friend’s agitation. 

“What do you mean? I was just going to tell Lily and Pete,” he said, smirking. “Unless you’d prefer that I tell —”

“NO.”

* * *

_Today, 11:43_

**Remus Lupin**

Wanker.

Your best mate is a wanker.

I’m hiding in the loo because of him. 

**Sirius**

my best mate?

last i checked, he was yours too

**Remus Lupin**

You’re a bad influence on him.

Nosy parker.

He won’t leave me alone. As we speak, he’s banging on the door and asking me if you and I are dating.

Or, quote, “Have you shagged yet?”

I don’t know how much more I can take.

**Sirius**

hold on

* * *

_Today, 12:01_

_Sirius created group “tbd”_

_Members: Sirius, Remus Lupin, James_

**Sirius**

PSA: As of 12:01 pm BST, on this day, 18th May, 20xx, I hereby declare that James Potter is a nosy parker and should leave Remus and meI the fuck alone.

**Remus Lupin**

Really eloquent, Sirius.

Capital letters and everything, I’m impressed.

**Sirius**

i aim to please

**James**

Awww

I’m so proud of my handiwork

Look, Remus even managed to convert him to uppercase!

Temporarily

**Remus Lupin**

Yes, really smooth.

We’re definitely not uncomfortable or awkward here, since the date clearly went so well.

**James**

Hey, blame your boyfriend

He made the group

And no, I’m not leaving you alone, Remus

* * *

“James, you gotta stop pushing this,” Sirius urged the next day. “The date went terribly, I don’t even like Remus.” 

Lie.

“I know what I saw,” James insisted. “You two were hitting it off, I know it. You look at each other all secretly when the other person isn’t paying attention. I saw the way you were looking at him. And trust me when I say it isn’t a lost cause.”

Sirius let out a breath. “Look, neither of us is looking for anything right now. He just got out of a relationship, and I’m taking a Tinder hiatus. Don’t force it.”

James looked dismayed. “You may be right,” he admitted. “I’ve been a tad pushy, but only because I thought you’d really mesh well together. Tell you what, I’ll lay off — on one condition.”

“Yeah?”

“You go on one more date with him.” Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but James cut him off. “Hear me out. One more date. Completely private, and I won’t be around, not at all. Not even hiding in the bushes and wearing a disguise. After the date, I’ll be waiting for you here and you tell me how it went, and if... _if_ you want to call it quits. I’ll lay off after that, promise.”

Sirius couldn’t deny that that was a good scenario — an hour or two with Remus so that James would stop bugging him, and allowing him to return his single life.

Besides, what was a couple of hours in the grand scheme of things? If it made James leave him alone, it wouldn’t be entirely unpleasant.

“Fine,” said Sirius, “but you have to tell him, not me.” He couldn’t ignore the small flutter in his chest. 

James grinned, whipping out his phone.

* * *

“I didn’t know you were so afraid of rollercoasters,” Remus teased as they stepped out of the cart. “I think I’m more surprised you didn’t piss in your pants.”

“Me too,” Sirius muttered, clutching his stomach. “Only I was thinking of a place north of my pants.”

Remus pulled a face. “I’m sorry I ever mentioned anything. Let’s talk about something else, at least until your stomach settles down.”

“Fine by me.” His sour mood vanished the moment his eyes fell upon the water balloon darts and moved to the ring toss. “Are you any good at throwing things?”

“I used to play cricket,” Remus said, grinning. “Years ago, in primary, I bowled for our school’s team.”

“...You know, I wonder how I’m not in love with you yet,” Sirius said, completely missing the look on Remus’s face. “We’re definitely going head-to-head; the loser will pay for drinks later. I’m an _ace_ at darts.” And with that, without waiting for Remus’s reply, Sirius dashed to the booth with the water balloon darts, eagerly speaking to the clerk with a broad smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Remus stared at him, something alien overtaking his thrill from the rollercoaster. It took him a moment to realize what it was — something he hadn’t experienced since he’d broken up with his ex.

...Oh no, this wasn’t good.

* * *

_Today, 19:21_

**Remus Lupin**

You may have been right.

**James**

You’re going to have to be more specific

**Remus Lupin**

About Sirius.

* * *

“Hah!” Sirius crowed as his last dart pierced the yellow balloon with a satisfying _pop._ “I win!” He glanced triumphantly at Remus’s half-empty board and pumped a fist. 

Remus couldn’t help but smile; he wasn’t upset at losing, because just watching Sirius celebrate was reward enough. Even that insufferably smug smirk. 

He also couldn’t help what he did next.

* * *

James didn’t ask the question that had been on his mind all afternoon and evening when Sirius walked in, looking giddy and...dare he say it, lovestruck. He was bouncing on his toes and humming a tune under his breath as he hung his coat on the rack and turned around, startling as he caught James staring at him expectantly.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” said James, shrugging, fighting back a smile and carefully observing his best mate. “You look...happy.”

“Why can’t I be happy?” asked Sirius, who was now shifting from foot to foot and swallowing at rapid intervals. He also kept swiping his tongue over his lips.

James had a fair idea of what was making him so jittery, but he didn’t want to push Sirius, no matter how curious he was. “You’re usually never this happy when you come back from a date with Remus.”

He could’ve been imagining it, but he swore he saw Sirius tremble a little bit at the mention of Remus’s name. “Oh, that? Yeah, that went...horribly. He’s an awful bloke. Boring. Tasteless.”

“Is he now?” Two can play at this game. “Are you sure he’s tasteless?” He put a heavy emphasis on _taste._

“Tasteless. His taste is utter rubbish. Did you know he even wears cardigans on dates? And don’t get me started on his taste in sweets — ”

“Please, don’t,” James interjected. “Tell me, do you want to call it quits? If the date was as bad as you said…”

Sirius hesitated. “...No,” he said, meeting James’s eyes. “No, I don’t want to call it quits.” 

“Ah,” said James, trying to maintain his neutral expression. “See, I think Remus thinks the same. I don’t think he wants to stop seeing you, especially after all that snogging you did. In broad daylight, too.”

He very much reveled in Sirius’s wide-eyed, jaw-dropped shock, allowed his elation to seep through, and waited for Sirius to speak.

“You...you know?”

“Of course, Remus told me everything a few minutes before you walked in. He’s on the phone right now.” James raised his phone and Sirius blanched as Remus’s face filled the screen.

“I’m glad to hear that you feel the same,” said Remus, who was starkly pink, “though I didn’t like the way you called me boring and tasteless. Those are rude and untrue accusations.”

“You know I didn’t mean any of those things.” Sirius came over and swiped the phone from James’s hand, and James let him. “I could never.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Sirius’s voice dripped with adoration, and James, though he pretended to gag, was secretly thrilled at his plan coming together. It disappeared, however, the moment Sirius started kissing the screen.

“Oi, stop slobbering all over my phone!”

  
  



End file.
